anastasia beverly hills

When you’re constantly testing out new makeup products like I am, you don’t use up very many of them. I definitely suffer from beauty ADD. I’ll love a product one minute, but the next time something shiny and new enters my collection, it often loses its luster.

That being said, it’s a big deal when I repurchase a makeup product. It means that 1) I’ve actually used it enough to go through it! That means that more often than not, I’m reaching for it over the other products in my makeup drawers. And 2) Despite the fact that I own other products that can do the job, I just can’t live without this item in my collection. These items are that good.

Is it December already? The final months of the year just keep flying by… At any rate, I kicked off the beginning of November with a “Wine in the Woods” trip with some friends. We rented a treehouse in Western Maryland and drove around to a bunch of vineyards. It was so much fun, and I came away with plenty of great wine! Thanksgiving was spent with Dave and my family in Wisconsin. We definitely appreciated the time off from work! Now time to crack down on grad school applications…

In terms of favorites, November was a really fun month for beauty! I did a fair amount of experimenting and I enjoyed just about everything I tried. Here are a few of the standouts!

Eyebrows are weird. You hear makeup artists and beauty bloggers talk about how your brows frame your face and create a structure for the rest of your makeup, but let’s face it– they’re not all that exciting! I’d much rather spend my time playing with pretty eyeshadows or a fun pop of lipstick than making sure my eyebrows are perfectly in place.

Naturally my brows are pretty “meh.” Not too thick, not too thin, and they maintain an okay shape as long as I maintain their grooming. When I do my brows, I want a product that’s user-friendly and fuss-free. I’m not really the type of person who tries to dramatically alter the shape of my brows. I just want to fill them in and make them look a bit more polished.

Last night, Dave and I went out to dinner and to see the new Cinderella movie as a sort of belated birthday celebration. My real birthday was last week, but I spent it at my grandfather’s funeral and I didn’t much feel like celebrating. Deciding it was time to stop moping around my apartment, I used the date as an excuse to get dolled up.

The two of us headed to Pacci’s, a local pizza restaurant that I love. They cook their pizzas in a wood-burning oven, and there’s something about the crust that’s extra delicious. I ordered a pizza topped with buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil and parmesan. We decided to skip dessert, but I was certainly tempted since the restaurant has a wall of Nutella at the entrance.

I cannot believe how quickly the month of February has gone by! I feel like so much has happened these last few weeks… On Valentine’s Day, my fiancé and I signed a lease for a new apartment. After 5 1/2 years, the two of us will finally be moving in together in early April. I also flew to Chicago last weekend to visit family. It was nice seeing everyone, and made me realize how much I miss home sometimes.

With February winding down, my birthday is quickly approaching! Now, I never need an reason to splurge, but I always feel like turning another year older gives me an excuse to pick up some of the items I’ve been lusting after. (Note: I brought a couple of these items with me on my trip, so some of them may look a tad familiar.)